The use of the PRARE and GPS (Global Positioning System) microwave tracking system is compared for orbit determination of a Low Earth Orbiter (LEO). Because the upward looking GPS system allows much longer contacts times than does the downward looking PRARE system, GPS appears to be superior for this particular application. It is recommended to determine the GPS orbits dynamically with 5 to 10 GPS reference receivers on the ground, and then to determine the LEO orbit geometrically from onboard GPS measurments to minimum 4 GPS satellites. In the present simulation, the orbits of 18 GPS satellites are computed by means of an analytical theory. On the basis of phase-smoothed pseudorange GPS measurement, LEO's orbit is found to be maintained to 4 m or better under realistic conditions.
Orbit Recovery of a Low Earth Orbiter from Gps and Ground Tracking Stations
1989
29 pages
Report
No indication
English
GPS Orbit Processing in Support of Low Earth Orbiter Precise Orbit Determination
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|GPS orbit processing in support of low earth orbiter precise orbit determination
Online Contents | 2003
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